Moore counting chickens before they’ve hatched

I doubt in this world of expense scandals, dodgy donors and cash for questions that there are many who would argue that Westminster politics and integrity long since took separate paths.

However, I am sure I will not be alone in thinking that when we step closer to home, when we consider our own MP, then we expect, even demand, something better. It is with this in mind that I draw attention to MP Michael Moore’s mail shot, titled the Borders News.

Under the bold banner of “It’s a two-horse race . . .”, we have a graphic suggesting the Lib Dems enjoy a comfortable 11-point lead over the Conservatives, and a commentary suggesting that Labour and the SNP “cannot win this time”, supported by that same graph showing them on a mere 10 per cent and nine per cent respectively.

Why do I draw attention to this? Well, because this particular graphic has absolutely nothing to do with, in Mr Moore’s words, “this May”.

In fact, it shows nothing other than the election results from May 2010 which saw Mr Moore elected.

Given the current context of the accompanying analysis, this is not some minor oversight, but a clear attempt to mislead voters.

And while I understand the difficulty Mr Moore would have in using current data, when respected sites such as Electoral Calculus suggest he has only a nine per cent chance of holding this seat, this is still no excuse for such cynical and deliberate deception.

Brian Holmes

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